Last Thursday, WCS teachers joined more than 1300 Christian educators, paraeducators, and administrators at Redeemer University for the annual teachers’ convention. The theme of this year’s gathering was “Flourishing Students, Beautiful Work”. I love the word flourishing to describe what we want for our students. We don’t just want students to “get by” in our classes; we want them to flourish. We want them to have experiences of deep learning and connection. We want them to feel known and loved in a class community that recognizes each student as an image bearer of God. 

We want students to experience what Jesus says in John 10:10 - “I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.” The Voice translation of the Bible gives Jesus’ words as “I came to give life with joy and abundance.” 

Sometimes in the daily grind of life, we lose sight of this focus. We get stuck in the thorns and thistles of Genesis 3, as one keynote speaker from the convention put it. That makes experiences like the teachers’ convention all the more powerful as they give teachers moments to step out of their daily work rhythms and meet together with other educators, being refreshed and renewed for the work ahead. Hopefully your children, too, had moments of rest and refreshment and renewal in their days away from school. And may you, too, continue to experience Jesus leading you into an abundant and joy-filled life.

                                                                                               Bethany Pasma, Gr. 6/7 Teacher